Reds' goalscoring legend is Former Players Association guest on Saturday at Barnet game
Ask any Crawley Town fans of 30 years or more for their greatest ever XI and virtually all of them would agree on the same strike force.
While more recent supporters were treated to the goal-scoring exploits of Matt Tubbs, in the mid-1980s we had two of his kind, in Brian Gregory and Saturday’s guest of the Former Players Association Terry Robbins.
The pair’s time at the club overlapped slightly in August 1984, and Robbins had played a couple of pre-season friendlies a year earlier but had stayed with Maidstone United. When he did eventually join it was for our first campaign back in the Southern League Premier Division and he made his debut in the opening match against Corby Town, alongside Gregory, though that would be Gregory’s final
appearance in a red shirt.
We would enjoy an outstanding first season back at that level, finishing third and only three points behind champions Cheltenham Town – who we beat on their own patch, with Robbins scoring. And he did that many a time, ending his first season with 24 league goals in 37 matches and 31 in 52 in all competitions.
The following yea, he reached an even higher level, netting 33 times in only 38 league games and adding a further 18 cup goals in as many matches. Once again, the Reds fared well in the league, with a sixth-placed finish this time.
Robbins began the 1986-87 season in similar vein, before being sold to Conference side Welling United for £8,000. The step up did not faze him as he went on to be a prolific marksman at that level, going onto play for the England non-league side as well.
In all, Robbins netted 60 league goals from 84 matches, and 89 in 125 in all, so please give him a big welcome to one of our all-time greats at half-time during Saturday’s game against Barnet.
